Even SNP MP admits: Hats off to Tories on by-election victory... their message on oil and gas was strong

By TOM GORDON, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 19:11, 21 June 2026 | Updated: 19:11, 21 June 2026 An SNP MP has added to the pressure on John Swinney over oil and gas after a ‘rubbish’ result for the party in the Aberdeen South by-election. Kirsty Blackman, the SNP’s chief whip at Westminster and MP for neighbouring Aberdeen North, said ‘hats off to the Conservatives’ for their ‘strong’ campaign on the issue. She also urged her SNP colleagues to ‘reflect quite heavily’ on the defeat and its causes. The Tories surged from third place last week to overturn an SNP majority of almost 4,000 to win by more than 6,000 votes. The Tories surged from third place last week to overturn an SNP majority of almost 4,000 to win by more than 6,000 votes. Douglas Lumsden took 50 per cent of the vote by making the by-election a local referendum on the SNP’s record on the oil and gas sector, which is losing 1,000 jobs a month. Ms Blackman, whose majority is just 1,760, was asked on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show if the result had been a shock. ‘It’s pretty rubbish,’ she said, adding: ‘Hats off to Conservatives, they did a good campaign, and they did talk about oil and gas. ‘We put in a huge amount of effort to this campaign. I think the Conservatives’ message on oil and gas in this campaign was strong. Kirsty Blackman urged her SNP colleagues to ‘reflect quite heavily’ on the defeat ‘The Conservatives gained about 25 points, which is really significant. ‘The Unionist vote coalesced around the Conservatives in this.’ But she insisted the by-election was a ‘one-off’ not part of a ‘pattern’, citing the SNP’s recent Holyrood wins in Aberdeen and Thursday’s by-election win in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: ‘Douglas Lumsden’s unwavering support for the oil and gas sector is why he absolutely thrashed the SNP. ‘Voters were clear, they want to restart North Sea drilling now. The pressure is on John Swinney to change tack, if he doesn’t then the people of Aberdeen will never forgive him. ‘The SNP’s ideological opposition to the oil and gas industry is costing jobs, deterring investment and putting our energy security at risk.’ The Government’s draft position, which dates from Nicola Sturgeon sharing power with the Greens in 2023, is a ‘presumption against’ new drilling. The stance was supposed to be updated in the spring, but Mr Swinney delayed it, allowing the Tories to claim he was fudging the issue and not being straight with votes. Former SNP cabinet minister Alex Neil told the Sunday Mail: ‘It’s about backbone. ‘Swinney needs to stand up to the Greens and to Sturgeon because he’s sitting on the fence and that’s the worst of all possible worlds.’ As the Aberdeen South result became clear, pro-oil economy secretary Stephen Flynn, whose switch from Westminster to Holyrood triggered the by-election, said some in his party needed to reflect ‘quite heavily’ on a ‘tough night’, seen as a dig at Mr Swinney. Asked if she agreed, Ms Blackman said: ‘I think all of us need to reflect on it quite heavily, actually.’ UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay joined forces to campaign in Aberdeen Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch played a ‘critical’ role in the party’s historic win - the first Tory gain in a Westminster by-election in Scotland since Glasgow Pollok in 1967. Mrs Badenoch was a frequent visitor to the seat, decrying the ‘madness’ of the SNP and Labour opposing new North Sea fields, forcing the UK had to import oil and gas instead. Mr Findlay said: ‘Kemi Badenoch and I are crystal clear. We wanted to give the people of Aberdeen the choice to say No to the net zero madness of Labour and the SNP. ‘She played a critical part. It was a huge team effort after the Scottish election ended, we didn’t stop.’ Mr Findlay added: ‘We need to move towards a future of renewables, but it makes absolutely no sense that we’re importing dirtier and more expensive oil and gas from other countries in today’s volatile world, especially when we’ve got this fantastic natural resource on our doorstep.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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